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MCC Daily Tribune

TCC Gratitude Series, day 5: The English Department

Today, the TCC would like to honor the good work of some of the English faculty, as written by their students. We hope you enjoy reading these as much as we did.

Amanda Colosimo and Terry Shamblin
Interim TCC Co-Coordinators

  • Nomination: Heather Williams
    • Professor Williams class is always a great start to my day. She is always upbeat and positive! She always brings my mood up because she is a fun professor to have, especially in a subject I struggle in 
  • Nomination: Sarah Pantaleo
    • I would like to thank you for taking the time out and making sure I understand and comprehend all the knowledge you are passing on to me; it is helping me in more ways than one so thank you once again for your support and wisdom.
  • Nomination: Patrick Callan
    • Professor Callan is among the most open-minded, articulate, and brave professors I've had the pleasure of learning from. My favorite part of his class are the discussions, which he leads with integrity and a clear desire to get to the "truth" of the matter - from both objective and subjective point of views. I admire that he makes the effort to acknowledge and consider all perspectives without discounting or disqualifying the validity of any individual opinion, setting the example for his students on how they can be tactful and savvy in navigating potentially controversial discussions. He lets us speak our minds and learn from each other, lays out and expands upon all of our thoughts and feelings, and lets us decide what's right or best without forcefully preaching his own beliefs. His lectures are consistently insightful and challenge my ideas about the human psyche, responsibility, love, family/community, and individuality. His enthusiasm for teaching shows through his body language and vivid gesticulation which really helps keep me focused and adds an entirely new crystal-clear layer of understanding to his points. His work has changed my mind about the importance of taking an English class, a feat my former professors have not been able to accomplish. Professor Callan is truly one of the best at what he does.
  • ​​​​​​​Nomination: Catharine Ganze-Smith
    • Extremely friendly and always understands when there is an issue in her students schedule. 
  • ​​​​​​​Nomination: Yulanda McKinney
    • Professor McKinney is a thoughtful teacher that changed the way I view the study of writing. She goes above and beyond to help students understand what they need to know to be successful and provides an outstanding role model to look up to. The way that she teaches makes you respect her passion. The level of effort and care she takes for her classes let me see beyond the title of teacher and let me see the wonderful person Professor McKinney is. I'm grateful I was able to have her as a teacher. Thank you.
  • ​​​​​​​Nomination: Jessica Saltzberg
    • Jessica has been the sweetest, funniest, and most welcoming person in my whole academic journey. Although I only get to see her once or twice a semester, the time we spend together is filled with such laughter and warmth that it makes me want to push through every year so I can sit in her office again. Thank you for going out of your way to explain every class to me, and helping me come up with the best possible plans for my future. Ps. Don't forget to give back that lamp. lol
  • Nomination: Angelique Stevens
    • Professor Stevens from the first week of school stood out to me with the jolly and genuine spirit she brought into her teaching. With Professor Stevens having high expectations, I assumed this would be a difficult class, but she proved the opposite. She brings quite a unique experience with her teaching, emphasis with on her visuals, bringing what we learn to life. Professor Stevens continues to go above and beyond, and you can see her true passion for her job. She is a professor I will always remember as she also transformed my writing. 
  • ​​​​​​​Nomination: Tony Leuzzi
    • Tony's students are taken on the adventure of a lifetime. He is constantly evolving as a teacher, and the way he wants to learn from his students is remarkable. His lessons and assignments are challenging in the most fun way possible, his passion is inspiring, and his curiosity has personally guided me to new ways of thinking. 
  • Receiving 2 nominations: Carl Silvio
    • Professor Silvio has been very compassionate, knowledgeable and very uplifting. I am adult student taking classes to get into the nursing program and he has helped a lot and has really uplifted me and my work. He has made me a better writer and student.
    • Dr. Silvio always goes above and beyond to make sure he’s engaging with all of his students. He is so incredibly sweet and funny and always cares about his welfare of the students in his class. Silvio is different from the other professors at MCC because he creates great discussions and it’s not always just about English 101, he cares about what we have to say and it’s overall the best professor I have right now just because he treats us very well.
  • Receiving 2 nominations: James Senden
    • He helped me have a comfortable and less stressful semester by helping me whenever I had a problem. He also checked up on me multiple times to make sure I was doing okay and not struggling anymore. I couldn't have gotten through this semester without him! 
    • Professor is non-traditional in his teaching style, which is extremely refreshing. He cares about his students and wants us to succeed. He is extremely fair and understanding. 
  • Receiving 2 nominations: Maria Brandt
    • She is very kind all the time. She is patient and understanding. She communicates really well and helps as much as she can
    • Professor Brandt is the sweetest professor. I missed many classes this semester because of family and personal issues and she always replied to my emails very quickly and took her time out of school to set up zoom meetings with students. For anyone struggling in class, she always took time to understand them and schedule zoom meetings to help them catch up. She is the most understanding professor that really cared about us. SHE IS THE BEST!!!
  • Receiving 2 nominations: Elizabeth Johnston
    • Thank you for being very understanding and helpful with English. There was never a time where I felt I couldn't come to her for help and I am very thankful for that.
    • She offers so many help for you to reach your best potential in class. She also teaches essential information that you will need in your college life without judging you. 
  • Receiving 3 nominations: Scott Rudd
    • This professor goes above and beyond to ensure his students have an understanding of the course material. He uses short video clips for a better understanding at times and to keep our interest, but mainly uses class discussions that are very informative. The feedback I receive from my assignments is always detailed and I can tell he actually cares about improving his students comprehension. I try my best to make it to every class because there is so much good information when attending the lectures. Overall best professor I’ve had my 2 years at MCC. 
    • He has a unique perspective that aligns with the needs of many different types of students and the way they learn. He was extremely kind and gave 100% of his efforts to help me and any of the other students in my English 101 class in the spring 2022 semester at MCC. Scott Rudd was by far one of the best instructors I’ve ever had in my whole life as a student, even though I only had him for one semester. 
    • All around Professor Rudd is amazing. You can tell he genuinely cares about the success of his students and he puts in the time and effort to insure that they get where they need to be. Because of him, I've realized the pathway I want to take for my career and I couldn't be more thankful. His classes are engaging and fun to attend, making it a better learning environment for everyone. I feel like I've learned so much from Professor Rudd. When I become a professor myself, I'm hoping to be half as good as he is. 

Amanda Colosimo
Teaching and Creativity Center
12/09/2022